Fragile Ceasefire—Lebanese War Resumes, Strait of Hormuz Closes Again

April 8, 2026, the US and Iran announced a two-week temporary ceasefire agreement, which initially excited global markets. However, on the first day the ceasefire took effect, its fragility was fully exposed—Israel launched its largest airstrike since the current conflict with Lebanon, resulting in hundreds of casualties; Iran immediately announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz again and threatened to withdraw from the ceasefire agreement. Less than 24 hours after the agreement took effect, it was torn apart.

1. “Largest-scale airstrike”: 10 minutes to destroy 100 Hezbollah targets

On April 8 local time, the day the US-Iran temporary ceasefire took effect, the Israel Defense Forces launched the “largest-scale strike” of this conflict against Lebanon’s Hezbollah. According to Xinhua News Agency, the IDF carried out large-scale airstrikes across multiple locations in Lebanon, including Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon. 50 fighter jets dropped about 160 bombs on 100 targets within 10 minutes, hitting over 100 Hezbollah command centers and military targets.

Lebanese Minister of Health Rakan Nasereddin stated that Israeli airstrikes had caused hundreds of casualties in Lebanon. According to Lebanon’s Civil Defense, at least 254 people were killed and 1,165 injured in these airstrikes. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that airstrikes in Beirut and surrounding areas alone caused at least 112 deaths and 837 injuries.

Hezbollah issued a statement on April 8 condemning Israel’s recent attacks on civilian areas across Lebanon, calling these strikes a series of massacres targeting women, children, and the elderly. The targets included downtown Beirut, southern suburbs, southern Lebanon, and eastern Bekaa Valley. These were large-scale violent acts during peak hours against densely populated residential, market, and commercial areas, committing war crimes.

2. US and Israel unified stance: “Ceasefire does not include Lebanon”

In response to international concern, the official positions of the US and Israel are highly aligned: the ceasefire does not include Lebanon. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on April 8, supporting Trump’s decision for a two-week ceasefire with Iran, but explicitly stating “the ceasefire does not include Lebanon.” US President Trump also told PBS that Lebanon was not included in the US-Iran two-week ceasefire, and that Israel’s strikes on Lebanon are “another separate conflict,” because Hezbollah was not included in the ceasefire scope, “this issue will be resolved later.”

However, this explanation conflicts with Pakistani Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif’s earlier announcement of “an immediate ceasefire in all regions, including Lebanon, effective immediately.” There is a fundamental disagreement among parties over the scope of the agreement—one side believes Lebanon is within the ceasefire framework, while the other insists it is excluded.

3. Iran’s strong response: closing the strait, threatening to withdraw from negotiations

Iran’s response has been extremely tough. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement on April 8, warning that if attacks on Lebanon do not cease immediately, they will respond to the “invaders” in a way that makes them regret it. The statement accused Israel of brutal slaughter of innocents, children, and women within hours of the ceasefire agreement, describing it as a “barbaric massacre” in Beirut. Major General Majiid Moussavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, also said that attacking Lebanon’s Hezbollah is equivalent to attacking Iran itself, and that Iran is preparing to retaliate heavily against the aggressors.

Iran also informed mediators that it would only consider talks with the US in Pakistan if a ceasefire is achieved in Lebanon. An informed source said that if Israel continues to violate the ceasefire and persist in attacking Lebanon, Iran will consider withdrawing from the agreement.

Meanwhile, Iran has again closed the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to take deterrent action against Israeli military targets. The Iranian Navy clarified that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz must obtain permission; unauthorized crossings will be destroyed.

4. Israel’s position: the ceasefire is just “a phase”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a video speech on the evening of April 8, emphasizing that the two-week ceasefire reached by the US and Iran “is not the end of the war,” but just a phase in achieving all of Israel’s established goals. Netanyahu stated that Israel “still has more objectives to accomplish,” “whether through the agreement or by resuming fighting,” including transferring enriched uranium out of Iran. Israel is “ready to return to combat at any time,” with “fingers always on the trigger.”

Netanyahu also made it clear that he has demanded that the US and Iran’s temporary ceasefire not involve Hezbollah in Lebanon, “we continue to strongly strike them.” In response to domestic criticism that he was informed of the ceasefire by Trump without full knowledge, Netanyahu emphasized that the US reached the temporary ceasefire “after full coordination” with Israel, not at the “last moment.”

Summary: On the first day of the ceasefire’s implementation, disputes over Lebanon have pushed this “fragile truce” to the brink of collapse. Large-scale Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, Iran’s retaliatory closure of the strait, and mutual refusal over the scope of the ceasefire—all these signs reveal a harsh reality: announcing a ceasefire is one thing; making it truly effective is another. Whether the Islamabad talks scheduled for April 11 can proceed as planned depends on the subsequent game of interests among all parties regarding Lebanon.
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